


Misery Loves Company

by MercyKill136



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Ending, Canon Compliant, Light Angst, M/M, Post-War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-30
Updated: 2020-10-30
Packaged: 2021-03-09 06:01:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27279922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MercyKill136/pseuds/MercyKill136
Summary: I just want to know, if I stay will you go? Post war and battle at the valley of the end. One-shot of how Naruto and Sasuke come to terms with their feelings and wants.
Relationships: Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto
Kudos: 32





	Misery Loves Company

**Author's Note:**

> This idea came to me while on discord with my bf and friend. I was thinking about writing an epilogue but I don't know, I'll see. If you don't like this pairing or whatever, just don't read lol. I don't own Naruto in any way.

Konoha was rebuilding, with the Great War over it could finally focus solely on rebuilding everything Pain destroyed. Life was slow and painful in Konoha for a while; people mourning the loss of family and important village personnel that lost their lives in the war. The overall tone of the village was slow and dull. Life perfectly reflected Naruto and Sasuke.

_Misery loves company, but she don’t feel no better_

The sadness of war and revelation with Sasuke hit Naruto hard. The war had taken lots of great shinobi. Naruto’s battle with Sasuke weighed on his mind a lot. So many unsaid, but known words exchanged between each other. Naruto felt miserable, torn between what the village wants him to be and what he wants. Hinata and Sakura went through his mind, specifically what his selfishness would do to them. Naruto knew Hinata loved him and that Sakura had always wanted Sasuke...who was he to reject one and take the other’s one? He thought about what people would say and how the village would see him. Not that he cared if they judged him, but more so if everything he had worked for came undone. He wanted to do the right thing, the thing that would make the most people happy. He was miserable.

Sasuke, too, was miserable. He felt guilt for how he treated everyone, what he did, and didn’t think he deserved a second chance. Sometimes he thinks maybe it would have been better if he died on those rocks next to Naruto. Almost every single action he made in the last 3 years had caused someone pain. The way he felt about him, made everything all the more complex. He didn’t deserve to stay here and see what could maybe happen. He didn’t deserve what he wanted, he needed to atone for what he did. Atonement means doing things you don’t necessarily want to do, but should. He thought of Sakura briefly, he wondered if just giving her what she wanted could be atonement. The thought left as fast as it came, no that’s not a good idea. Starting a life with someone that’s based on a lie isn’t atonement. His mind wandered to Naruto again, he didn’t deserve him. Sasuke mostly decided that he would leave on a solitary journey to atone, away from those he hurt and away from the one thing he wanted, but had no business having. With his mind mostly made up he still decided it wouldn’t hurt to see his “friend.”

Things were different between the two, the words said and the unspoken ones hung in the air. That day was burned into each other's mind. Naruto and Sasuke didn’t speak much. Emotions communicated through their bond, they didn’t feel better though. Their shared sentiment didn’t make anything easier, it just hung between them and slowly tore into them.

_Used to be pretty as a picture, now she’s ripped right through the center_

The veil that used to separate them had been shattered that day they fought. All the subconscious thoughts and feelings were exposed. All the words they thought to say, but hadn’t said were already out in the open. There was no way to undo the mess of emotions that had been made.

Naruto, after long thought, decided that for once he should put himself first. He gave his everything to the village and his friends, he always would, but this was different. This situation didn’t have anything to do with anyone other than the 2 men. Naruto was tired of feeling miserable; his entire life had been one long story of misery, pain, and loneliness. Now, things could be different; he could choose what he wanted and begin to live his own life. He could be with the one person who dominated his thoughts everyday for the past few years. Naruto had received a hawk message that Sasuke wanted to meet at the training grounds, he went off with his mind set on what he wanted.

It was quiet, even outside, due to everyone focusing on the rebuilding of Konoha the training grounds were almost always empty. The two men stood on the other side of the tree looking into each other's eyes. Naruto made the first move to talk.

_Her comments are misleading, and her love is unforgiving_

“Are we going to talk about it?”

“What?”

“The valley of the end”

“There’s nothing to say, I’m back and will atone soon”

A small feeling of panic rose in Naruto’s chest, would Sasuke leave again? Also, why would Sasuke pretend to not know, it was clear to anyone who would have witnessed it. Maybe Naruto would end up with Hinata after all, he thought sadly.

“You know that’s not true”

“Hn”

“Don’t just hn me you bastard, you know what I’m talking about. Or do you want me to spell it out?”  
“No, whatever you’re thinking is wrong. I’m back and we’re friends and I’m going to atone for everything I did. I acknowledged you and am changed”

_Those eyes that used to feed you, say they no longer need you_

“Don’t say that, don’t be the way. You and I-”

“What? My eyes are opened and I’ve realized that I need to atone. There’s nothing more I’ve thought about it”

“Sasuke, stay. You can atone here, it’s okay.”

“I don’t need you to tell me it’s going to be okay and I don’t need to stay here”

...with you, Sasuke thought to himself. The blond man was making it hard for Sasuke to just walk away. He reminded himself that he didn’t deserve any of this, he clung to that thought to continue telling Naruto no.

Naruto looked at the other man bitterly. Naruto knows what’s in his heart, so why was he resisting? Naruto wanted Sasuke to see that he could stay and still atone, that he doesn’t have to leave because he thinks he’s not worthy and-Naruto realized why he wanted to leave.

“You’re a different person now. Yeah you have shit to make up for, but that doesn’t mean you don’t get to be happy. You deserve to feel happy after everything”

Sasuke snapped, the idiot like always didn’t know what he was talking about. How the fuck could he stay and be happy with this idiot when all he did was hurt him and all their friends and basically say fuck you to everything he was suppose to care about. Why did this moron think he deserved anything less than atoning away from what makes him happy. He didn’t deserve happiness, he deserved to be alone. That’s what his atonement will be; being alone, figuring out his new ninja way, and doing good for once. Not staying here and playing house with the blond that he hurt for years, facing all his “friends” and acting like everything was normal when just a week ago he wanted to leave them in an infinite tsukuyomi for the rest of their lives.

“You’re a moron. You don’t even know what you’re saying. Just because I was let go and aren’t a threat doesn’t mean I get to integrate into society like a normal person. I can’t just act like everything is normal when at one point I wanted to kill you, almost killed Sakura multiple times, and tried to hurt everyone you cared about”

_I just wanted to know, if I stay will you go?_

There was silence for a while. Naruto made his way over to Sasuke, only a few inches apart from each other. Naruto stared into Sasuke’s eyes, his own eyes softening. Naruto then moved forward and pulled Sasuke into a hug; Naruto placed his head on Sasuke’s shoulder, while Sasuke hesitantly wrapped his arms around Naruto’s waist.

“I’m here to stay, no matter what you think,” Naruto whispered in a determined tone.

Sasuke sucked a breath in and let his head fall to Naruto’s shoulder. Sasuke contemplated staying, he still wasn’t sure, but Naruto’s warm body and reassuring company made him rethink his decision. Sasuke knows that after everything he’s done it shouldn’t be this easy to get what he wants. However, this isn’t just what he wants, Naruto wants this too. This was okay right? If there’s anyone that Sasuke owed most it was Naruto; making Naruto chase him around, consuming his thoughts religiously, and just being a pain Naruto didn’t need while protecting everyone. Sasuke fought with himself for a bit. He could atone here in the village; do missions, maybe teach, or at least something that benefited the people of Konoha. Sasuke made his decision, he may have fucked up a lot along the way, but now he had a chance to atone for it and have somewhere, or someone, to call home.

“Okay...I’ll stay.”


End file.
